Drought conditions worsened slightly across portions of east-central Utah in response to areas of above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation during the month of June. Elsewhere, the drought status remained unchanged through the end of June as a result of the aforementioned conditions.
Every event with a place to put it; 7 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS GJT wrote it up.
Drought conditions worsened slightly across portions of east-central Utah in response to areas of above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation during the month of June. Elsewhere, the drought status remained unchanged through the end of June as a result of the aforementioned conditions.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Grand Junction, CO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 31, 10:36 PM MST, 1 hour 24 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Grand Junction CO 1136 PM MDT Mon May 31 2021 .SHORT TERM...(Tonight through Tuesday night) Issued at 354 PM MDT Mon May 31 2021 It's been an eventful day across southwest and west-central Colorado with showers and thunderstorms producing heavy rain, frequent lightning, and accumulating hail. Quarter-sized hail was reported with convection southeast of Stoner, Colorado with mothball to nickel-sized hail associated with other storms. Outflow winds have generally been in the range of 30 to 35 mph though the Durango Airport reported a gust of 53 mph as storms exited to New Mexico. As far as rain totals go, radar estimates over an inch of rain fell over the southern portion of the 416 Fire burn scar with several tenths to over half an inch with some of the stronger thunderstorms. The potential for additional flooding remains low, but will continue to be monitored as the afternoon progresses. Mostly sunny skies have prevailed across the northern and western portions of the forecast area as the midlevel trough shifts eastward. Meanwhile, shower and thunderstorm activity will gradually diminish further east before dissipating by midnight. The trough will finally reach the Plains overnight as a ridge of high pressure amplifies over the western CONUS. A secondary shortwave will brush the Continental Divide on the backside of the departing trough Tuesday and fuel isolated to scattered convection in the afternoon. Otherwise, a dry day is expected with high temperatures climbing back to 3 to 6 degrees above normal. .LONG TERM...(Wednesday through Monday) Issued at 354 PM MDT Mon May 31 2021 A cutoff low will remain over the northern Baja peninsula at the start of the long term period while the previously mentioned upper level ridge dominates the western CONUS. Under its continued influence temperatures will jump anywhere from 6 to maybe 12 degrees above normal for early June. Daytime heating will act on residual moisture to fuel an isolated storm or two along the Divide each afternoon. The ridge will begin to weaken late in the week as the next Pacific system drops in from the Gulf of Alaska. The gradient will tighten as this disturbances descends into the Pacific Northwest. As a result, critical fire weather conditions look possible this weekend for portions of the forecast area. Moisture will gradually increase as the trough begins to influence the region, potentially bringing more widespread precipitation. && .AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Tuesday night) Issued at 1136 PM MDT Mon May 31 2021 The airmass across the region will continue to dry today as the mid-level trough over the area slides to the east during the remainder of the night. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop over the mountains of the Continental Divide, though this activity is not expected to bring storms over any TAF site during the next 24 hours. However, outflow winds from high based storms could bring wind gusts in excess of 30 mph to KEGE, KASE, KGUC, KTEX and KDRO this afternoon and early this evening. Otherwise, expect VFR conditions at all TAF sites with no ceilings below ILS breakpoints. && .GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CO...None. UT...None. && SHORT TERM...MMS LONG TERM...MMS AVIATION...NL
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Grand Junction CO 451 AM MDT Mon May 31 2021 COZ001>014-017>023-UTZ022>025-027>029-011100- Lower Yampa River Basin-Central Yampa River Basin- Roan and Tavaputs Plateaus-Elkhead and Park Mountains- Upper Yampa River Basin-Grand Valley-Debeque to Silt Corridor- Central Colorado River Basin-Grand and Battlement Mesas- Gore and Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys- Central Gunnison and Uncompahgre River Basin- West Elk and Sawatch Mountains-Flat Tops- Upper Gunnison River Valley-Uncompahgre Plateau and Dallas Divide- Northwest San Juan Mountains-Southwest San Juan Mountains- Paradox Valley/Lower Dolores River- Four Corners/Upper Dolores River-Animas River Basin- San Juan River Basin-Southeast Utah-Eastern Uinta Mountains- Eastern Uinta Basin-Tavaputs Plateau-Arches/Grand Flat- La Sal and Abajo Mountains-Canyonlands/Natural Bridges- 451 AM MDT Mon May 31 2021 This hazardous weather outlook is for eastern Utah and western Colorado. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Scattered thunderstorms will develop over the mountains of central and southwest Colorado late this morning. This activity then continues through the afternoon and into the early part of the evening with storm cells moving over the valleys south of the higher terrain. Showers become more widespread during the afternoon with locally heavy rain likely. However, rainfall amounts exceeding one-half inch are unlikely so the potential for flash flooding is low. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday Scattered thunderstorms are likely over the mountains each afternoon and evening through the end of the week, though this activity will largely be confined to the ranges along the Continental Divide. An uptick in storm activity is possible this weekend. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
7 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
The status of the drought remained unchanged through the month of June as exceptional (D4) conditions persisted across all but the northern part of the zone where extreme (D3) conditions continued.
The status of the drought remained unchanged through the end of June with exceptional (D4) conditions across all but the southern part of the zone where extreme (D3) conditions persisted.
The status of the drought remained unchanged through the end of June with exceptional (D4) conditions across the northern and southern portions of the zone and extreme (D3) conditions across the central portion of the zone.
The status of the drought worsened through the month of June with exceptional (D4) conditions developing across the southeast portion of the zone. Elsewhere, extreme (D3) conditions continued through the end of the month.
The status of the drought remained unchanged through the month of June with extreme (D3) conditions persisting across the entirety of the zone.
The status of the drought remained unchanged through the month of June with exceptional (D4) conditions across all but the far southern portion of the zone where the extreme (D3) category continued.
The status of the drought remained unchanged through the month of June with exceptional (D4) conditions across the southern portion of the zone, the extreme (D3) category across the central areas, and the severe (D2) drought across the far northwest portion of the zone.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Utah in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Utah, June 2021
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 958838, 958839, 958840, 958841, 958842, 958843, 958844.